Dr José Bujalance Zafra is a Sanitas-registered pulmonologist (neumólogo) consulting on the Costa del Sol at Clínica Premium Marbella and at Hospital Ochoa Marbella. He brings more than two decades of consultant-level experience, twelve of those in the Servicio Andaluz de Salud (the Andalusian public health service), and is now in exclusive private practice across Málaga, Marbella and Fuengirola. His clinical focus is severe asthma, COPD, sleep-disordered breathing and the management of asthma in pregnancy and in children — areas where the right diagnostic workup early on can change the course of a chronic condition.
Training and background
- Medical degree and specialist training in Neumología — over 12 years in the Servicio Andaluz de Salud (public health service)
- Tercer Ciclo (doctoral courses), Universidad de Córdoba — Sobresaliente
- Specialist training in evolutionary and functional medicine, plus nutrition and gut microbiota, at the Vall d'Hebron Teaching Unit, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
- Co-author of the Consenso Andaluz sobre Síndrome de Apnea-Hipopnea del Sueño (the Andalusian sleep-apnoea consensus document)
- Member of the Asma, EPOC and Trastornos del Sueño working groups of the Sociedad Española de Neumología y Cirugía Torácica (SEPAR) and the Sociedad Andaluza de Neumología
- Forensic medicine: court-appointed medico-legal expert in bodily harm assessment since 2005
- Active researcher — contributor to F.I.S.-funded research on tuberculosis treatment in Andalusia and to multi-centre asthma and COPD trials
- Teaching: residency programmes, doctoral programmes and continuing medical education for the Distrito Sanitario de Málaga
Areas of practice
- Severe asthma — diagnosis, biologic-eligibility assessment and long-term control
- COPD — staging, inhaler optimisation and pulmonary rehabilitation referral
- Asthma in pregnancy — co-managed with the patient's gynaecologist or obstetrician
- Paediatric asthma and persistent cough
- Sleep-disordered breathing — obstructive sleep apnoea workup, home sleep testing review
- CPAP titration and follow-up, including mask and pressure adjustments
- Spirometry, peak-flow and bronchodilator response testing
- Bronchial hyperreactivity testing and prick allergy testing for respiratory allergens
- Pulse oximetry and exercise tolerance assessment
- Pneumonia and respiratory follow-up
- Bronchiectasis and chronic bronchitis
- Smoking cessation support, including pharmacotherapy
Booking your appointment
Sanitas members can book through the Mi Sanitas app, or by calling Clínica Premium Marbella's central reception on 952 865 856 (WhatsApp on +34 660 333 030 if you prefer messaging). For Hospital Ochoa Marbella appointments, the central appointments line is 952 861 400. Bring your Sanitas card, photo ID, a list of any current medication and inhalers, prior chest X-ray or CT reports if you have them, and any previous spirometry or sleep-study results. If you are coming in for CPAP titration, bring your machine and current mask. If you need a referral, see our note on primary care and specialist access.
Languages
Dr Bujalance consults in Spanish and English — confirmed on his independent profile. English-language support is straightforward for international Sanitas patients on the coast.
Clínica Premium Marbella — visiting and hours
Clínica Premium Marbella's Jacinto Benavente site is the central-Marbella outpatient hub of the wider Clínica Premium group, open Monday to Friday 08:00–21:00 and Saturday 10:00–14:00. Pulmonology consultations and lung-function tests run by appointment only — confirm your time when booking, particularly if you need spirometry, bronchodilator testing or CPAP titration in the same visit. Inpatient and surgical work for the group is performed at the Calle San Juan Bosco 8 site (29602 Marbella).
Hospital Ochoa Marbella — visiting and hours
Hospital Ochoa Marbella is a long-established private hospital on the Marbella seafront and one of the principal Sanitas-network providers on the Costa del Sol. Pulmonology outpatient hours run on weekdays during standard clinic times; specific consultation slots vary, so confirm your appointment time when you book. The hospital operates a 24-hour A&E and admissions service — relevant if you have a severe asthma or COPD exacerbation outside clinic hours.
Patient feedback
Dr Bujalance's main independent profile carries 7 verified patient reviews on Doctoralia, with an average rating of 4.0 out of 5. The review count is below our 20-review threshold and the average sits below the 4.5 threshold for the highly-recommended badge, so the badge is not awarded at present. Reviewers consistently mention his thoroughness on history-taking and his clarity in explaining inhaler and CPAP regimens.
Nearest pharmacy
The closest 24-hour pharmacy to the Jacinto Benavente clinic is Farmacia Berdaguer 24 Horas at Avenida Ricardo Soriano 4, 29601 Marbella — open 24 hours, seven days a week. Useful if your prescription includes inhalers, oral steroids, antibiotics for a chest infection or rescue medication for an asthma exacerbation.
Getting to Clínica Premium Marbella
- Address: Calle Jacinto Benavente 11, 29601 Marbella, Málaga
- Telephone: 952 865 856 · WhatsApp: +34 660 333 030
- Hours: Mon–Fri 08:00–21:00 · Sat 10:00–14:00 · Sun closed
- Parking: street parking on Jacinto Benavente and surrounding streets; public car parks at Avenida Ramón y Cajal and Plaza de los Naranjos within walking distance
- By car: from the AP-7, take the Marbella Centro exit and follow signs for the Casco Antiguo
- Open Clínica Premium Marbella in Google Maps
Getting to Hospital Ochoa Marbella
- Address: Paseo Alfonso Cañas Nogueras s/n, Edificio Mayoral, 29603 Marbella, Málaga
- Telephone: 952 861 400 (central appointments) · 951 204 262 (24-hour A&E)
- Parking: on-site hospital car park plus street parking along the Paseo Marítimo
- Open Hospital Ochoa in Google Maps
Helpful links
Considering respiratory cover for asthma, COPD or sleep apnoea on a Sanitas plan? Speak to our team and we'll recommend the right Sanitas plan for your circumstances on the Costa del Sol.
Last reviewed 6 May 2026
